SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
UMPETHA wakuleli ebangeni lika-400m, uZakithi Nene, uthi umgqigqo wakhe wakamuva umnika ithemba lokuthi kwiDiamond League uzokwazi ukwenza isikhathi esizombekela indawo kuma-Olympic Games angoJulayi 23, eTokyo, eJapan.
Ukusebenza ngokuzikhandla kwale nsizwa, kuqalile ukuthela, imenywa okokuqala ochungechungeni lwe-track & field, iDiamond League, ehlonishwa umhlaba wonke ngenxa yokugijinywa ngabasubathi bezinga eliphezulu.
UNene uzogijima kulo mlenze wasithathu namuhla, eFlorence, e-Italy. Uhambe nompetha wakuleli ku-100m, u-Akani Simbine nentokazi, uWenda Nel, eyingqwele ye-400m hurdles. UWenda uzogijima ngo-8.03 ebusuku, uNene (8.13 ebusuku), uSimbine (9.48 ebusuku).
Ekhuluma neSolezwe eseFlorence, uNene uthe noma kumjabulisa ukuthi useqenjini le 4x400m relay eselizibekele indawo kuma-Olympics, angathanda ukuzenzela igama ngayedwana kozoba eTokyo, njengoba kwenza uWayde van Nierkek ongumpetha wama-Olympic ku-400m.
“Ngizizwa ngibusisekile ngokumenywa kwiDiamond League, angingabazi ngizosithokozela lesi sikhathi. Ngizimisele ngokwenza isikhathi esisheshayo, u-44.90 ukuze ngizokwazi ukuya kuma-Olympics. Ngijatshuliswa kakhulu ukuthi ngizizwa ngiwumqemane. Emijahweni edlule ngitshengise okukhulu ukuthuthuka. KwiDiamond League ngizimisele nokwenza isikhathi esizongibekela indawo kumaWorld Champs, ngo-2022,” kusho uNene.
E-Florence uNene, ocijwa uVictor Vaz, kubhekwe ukuthi athwaliswe kanzima ngu-Isaac Mokwala waseBotswana ongumpetha wamaCommonwealth mo-Anthony Zambrano waseColombia owanqoba isiliva kumaWorld Champs.
UNene wadlala usicoco sakuleli ku-400 eqopha u-45.54.
Emasontweni edlule ulinyusile izinga eshaya intambo ngesingu-45.03 kuma-University Sport South African (USSA). Lesi yisikhathi sakhe esihle kunazo zonke.
USimbine, osesenzile isikhathi sama-Olympic, kubhekwe ukuthi namuhla agijime esingcono kunasenza nyakenye, emlenzeni wakhona e-Italy. Washaya esiwu-9.96 ku-100m.
Lo mpetha, osanda kwenza esingu-9.99, kumaChampionships, eTshwane, kulindeleke ukuthi amiswe kabi ngu-Arthur Cisse wase-Ivory Coast, Lamont Jacobs wase-Italy noChiiindu Uiah waseBritain.